Best of Both Worlds: International Undergraduate Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada

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The author, Veronika Xaveria

Do you know that there are Double Degree programs in some universities in Indonesia that allow students to get opportunities to study at both university in Indonesia and its overseas partner universities? In this article, contributor Veronika Xaveria shares her experiences when taking International Undergraduate Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Gadjah Mada (IUP FEB UGM). Let’s check it out!

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During my time in high school, I used to be a timid, introverted, and mediocre individual who used to fear public speaking and has a rather low self-esteem. Nonetheless, I know deep down inside that there is a tad bit spark of hope and passion flared within me; I aspired to transform myself into a better person by stepping out of my comfort zone. Being a naïve and idealistic person that I was, I jumped to a conclusion that getting my undergraduate degree abroad would be a perfect opportunity for me to accomplish all my overarching narrative of a goal. Thus, I applied to a lot of prestigious universities located overseas and studied rigorously believing that achieving my objective is what matters the most.

Nevertheless, the question arises; can a life centering on such pursuits will instantly enable me to accomplish them? And what if I fail, am I ready to face that possibility? As expected, life is not as easy as it seems. Facing the bitter truth, I failed all my applications and quickly found myself on the verge of giving up my dreams to study overseas.

Unexpectedly, when it seemed that there was no other way for me to realize my dreams anymore, God made a way. On that one fateful afternoon, I was still at my Bimbingan Tes Akademik (BTA) when I suddenly overheard my friends conversation about a program called International Undergraduate Program at Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Gadjah Mada (IUP FEB UGM). Upon knowing about IUP FEB UGM, I quickly opened its website and I was quickly captivated by the curriculum scheme namely Double Degree (DD) Program, which offers students opportunities to study at both UGM and its overseas partner universities that we can choose. Noticing the last intake of IUP FEB UGM admission period that was still open, I quickly found a strong burst of desires that translate into demands, which are the motivating forces of my intense preparation to get into IUP as a means of participating in DD program.

Eventually, by God’s grace, I was accepted to IUP FEB UGM at Management department as my choice of major.

Coming to UGM with enthusiasm and excitement, I made a resolution to always take charge, take initiative, and give the best that I can academically and socially to become a more confident person. Owing to my intrinsic motivation, I had a pretty vibrant university life having been part of various organizing committees, organizations, camps, internships, case competitions, mentoring group, etc.

Being part of organizations really makes me feel like I am a part of something more than just community, in fact, it feels more like I have additional families in Yogyakarta. I cherished every moment I spent by being given a chance to practice my leadership, event management, and teamwork at Badan Eksekutif Mahasiswa (BEM) FEB UGM, Badan Pers dan Penerbitan Mahasiswa Equilibrium, and Keluarga Mahasiswa Katolik FEB UGM. From there, rather than just having experience to polish your CV, I managed to have lifelong friendships forged with all people that I know from these organizations.

With my department at BEM FEB UGM
With my department at BEM FEB UGM

Being part of the organizing committees for the events such as Career Insight, Management’s Events, Jogja International Model United Nations (JOINMUN), etc permits me to learn so many things such as commitment, event management, and problem-solving.

It has come to my realization as well that UGM seeks to facilitate its students with a world-class education that enables them to possess “Locally Rooted, Globally Respected” motto. Therefore, even though I am still in Indonesia, I get a chance to really put such a mindset into practice by participating in a community volunteering program called Indonesia International Contribution Project – Hiroshima University of Economics (IICP-HUE), which is a joint program between UGM students and HUE students from Hiroshima, Japan. Joining IICP-HUE allows me to bring fair trade to Tenun Lurik as the main source of local housewives’ income in Dusun Mundon, Gunungkidul. Frankly speaking, I am really grateful that I have an invaluable opportunity to enjoy the humble perspective of studying in Yogyakarta, Indonesia first before I am exposed to the global and modern landscape of having my double degree overseas.

With HUE Students at Indonesia International Contribution Project
With HUE Students at Indonesia International Contribution Project

Another thing that I also want to highlight is how amazing it is that you can find yourself being surrounded by some ambitious and high-achieving individuals, especially in the context of joining case competitions together with them. Taking part in case competitions further helps me to hone my teamwork, public speaking, and presentation skills.

With Grande Team at HSBC Business Case Competition 2018
With Grande Team at HSBC Business Case Competition 2018

At the end of the day, it goes without saying that I would not able to develop myself into a better individual during my time in UGM should I not have abundance and endless supports from all people involved with my development and studies there, especially my parents, friends, and God. I have to honestly admit that I’m really privileged to be able to pursue my higher education at IUP FEB UGM first before I get to continue my double degree overseas.

Ultimately, as someone who loves challenges and desires to fulfill my longtime goal of embracing the world unbeknown to me, I made my mind to choose the University of Melbourne.

Long story short, here I am in Melbourne, having spent my first year here and currently writing this article to be submitted to Indonesia Mengglobal. To sum up, my advice to all people reading this article is to be courageous with your dreams, actively seek all of the available opportunities, work wholeheartedly with all you have, and let God do the rest since “He has made everything beautiful in its time”.

I will tell you more about my experience in Melbourne, Australia in my next article. So just wait and stay tuned!

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Photos provided by the author

 



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Veronika Xaveria, commonly known as Veronika, is a double degree student at Universitas Gadjah Mada and the University of Melbourne. Living and applying management and marketing practices as part of her majors, she knows that every steps and milestones that she takes will be the right opportunity for her to build layers upon the foundation of her long-term goals; to create value by helping others turn their ideas into reality and to achieve proven results in her capacities as a future business leader, management consultant, and mentor. She is fond of playing piano, joining case competition, attending soft-skill workshop, talk, and seminar in her spare time. Do connect and collaborate with her to discuss any related opportunity (project, job, competition, event, etc) in management, marketing, and technology. You can catch up with her through email veronikaxaveriaa@gmail.com.

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